Asked by: Lord Crisp (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to ensure that Integrated Care Systems (1) adopt, and (2) support, health creation.
Answered by Lord Bethell
Many of the principles of ‘health creation’ align with the proposals for integrated care systems (ICS) we have set out in the Health and Care White Paper Bill, in particular by improving the role of community and place-based working by ensuring that health and social care services are delivered in a way that works best for a local area and their population. ICSs will strengthen partnerships between the National Health Service and local authorities and with local partners, including groups representing the public and patient perspective, the voluntary sector and wider public service provision.
Asked by: Lord Crisp (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the value of making health creation a priority for a post-COVID-19 health and social care service.
Answered by Lord Bethell
We have not made a formal assessment. However, the community and place-based approach aligns with our priorities in promoting integrated care and provisions through integrated care systems in the forthcoming Health and Care Bill.
Asked by: Lord Crisp (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the report by the Health Creation Alliance Primary Care Networks and place-based working: addressing health inequalities in a COVID-19 world. A partners perspective, published on 13 April, what consideration they have given to ensuring every Primary Care Network employs a Strategic Relationship Development Lead whose role is to build relationships between primary care, communities and local partners.
Answered by Lord Bethell
No assessment has been made. However, the Department and NHS England and NHS Improvement continue to work with key stakeholders to consider the best ways to tackle health inequalities.
The five-year framework for the General Practitioner Contract included a commitment to introduce a service specification through which Primary Care Networks will identify and address the most pressing health inequalities in their local area. This will be supported by new members of staff employed under the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme. This scheme includes roles such as social prescribing link workers, whose focus includes identifying and supporting local voluntary and community groups to become sustainable and that community assets are nurtured.
Asked by: Lord Crisp (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Health Creation Alliance Primary Care Networks and place-based working: addressing health inequalities in a COVID-19 world. A partners perspective, published on 13 April.
Answered by Lord Bethell
No assessment has been made. However, the Department and NHS England and NHS Improvement continue to work with key stakeholders to consider the best ways to tackle health inequalities.
The five-year framework for the General Practitioner Contract included a commitment to introduce a service specification through which Primary Care Networks will identify and address the most pressing health inequalities in their local area. This will be supported by new members of staff employed under the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme. This scheme includes roles such as social prescribing link workers, whose focus includes identifying and supporting local voluntary and community groups to become sustainable and that community assets are nurtured.
Asked by: Lord Crisp (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the summary by the Health Creation Alliance Building Back Together: 10 key messages, published on 13 April.
Answered by Lord Bethell
We welcome the key messages set out by the Health Creation Alliance and their view that 'health creation' is a route to wellbeing through local partnership working. At the core of the 10 key messages are principles of community level engagement with health and social care, ensuring a voice and a role for the community for the benefit of wider population health. These principles align closely with the proposals for integrated care systems (ICS) we have set out in the upcoming Health and Care Bill.
By placing ICS on a statutory footing, we are embedding more power and autonomy in the hands of local systems, to deliver seamless person-centred health and social care services. This will enable more joined up planning and provision, both within the National Health Service and with local authorities, enhancing the services people receive.
Asked by: Lord Crisp (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to publish the statistics on the number of patients who have had to wait in excess of 12 hours for admission to the hospital from the time of their arrival in accident and emergency departments in England.
Answered by Lord Bethell
NHS England and NHS Improvement are considering a 12 hour measure in emergency departments as part of its clinically-led review of standards. It has undertaken a public consultation and will respond in due course.
Asked by: Lord Crisp (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to accelerate (1) the progress, and (2) the dissemination of the findings, of research into the (a) prevention, and (b) treatment, of brain tumours.
Answered by Lord Bethell
In 2018 we announced £40 million over five years to accelerate progress in brain tumour research. This was highlighted within the research community with workshops to support high quality brain tumour research applications.
The findings of brain tumour research will be disseminated via the planned network of Tessa Jowell Centres of Excellence, presentations at conferences, publications in journals and through the National Institute for Health Research and its Centre for Engagement and Dissemination.
Asked by: Lord Crisp (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the progress being made on the (1) prevention, and (2) treatment, of brain tumours.
Answered by Lord Bethell
A 2018 review of evidence suggested about 2.5% of brain and central nervous system cancers are attributable to modifiable causes. This equates to approximately 119 cancers that year. The majority of these are attributed to excess weight.
Public Health England supports local authorities and the National Health Service to commission weight management services that are based on and align with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidance for weight management. These types of activities may help prevent brain tumours attributable to modifiable causes.
Treatment decisions for brain tumours should always be made by doctors based on a patient’s individual clinical needs and preferences. Brain tumours can be treated using a number of treatment modalities, including surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, as appropriate to the tumour type, size and position. These treatments fall within the scope of NHS England direct commissioning responsibilities for specialised services.
Asked by: Lord Crisp (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the level of research being undertaken into the (1) prevention, and (2) treatment, of brain tumours.
Answered by Lord Bethell
More research is needed on brain cancer. This is a challenging area as the research community is relatively small. We announced £40 million over five years as part of the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission. The planned designation of Tessa Jowell Centres of Excellence will be a major step forwards in enhancing both treatment and research for people with brain cancer.
Asked by: Lord Crisp (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to mitigate the adverse effects of the COVID-19 lockdown for people who are shielding or over the age of 70.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The Government will continue to ensure support is available for those who need it for as long as people are advised to follow shielding guidance. We know this is challenging guidance to follow and we want to ensure that people who are shielding continue to receive the right advice for them at a time.
From 1 June those shielding may wish to spend time outdoors once a day. This can be beneficial for mental and physical wellbeing for people of all ages, particularly those shielding alone. The advice is for people who are shielding to spend time outdoors alone or with members of their own household or, for those shielding alone, with one person from another household.
To ensure vulnerable individuals, including those shielding and the over 70s, we have put a core support offer in place to help them stay at home where they wished to follow this advice, including delivering over 2 million free food boxes, providing priority supermarket delivery services, providing care, ensuring people can get medicines delivered to their homes and enlisting the help of National Health Service volunteer responders in delivering shopping and calling people for a ‘check in and chat’.
We have also announced £5 million of funding for mental health charities to support adults and children and a further £4.2 million is being awarded to mental health charities as part of the Government’s £750 million package of support for the voluntary sector during the pandemic.